4 Ways to Include Calls to Action on Videos

Video has an important place in your overall content marketing strategy, and YouTube’s rise in popularity has taken a front seat in social media marketing news. I shared 4 Mistakes You Make When You Post Video on Your Blog in my last Convince & Convert post, with number four being neglecting to include a call-to-action (CTA). Here are four ways to address the lack of CTAs in your video marketing.

Edit CTAs Directly Into Your Video

One of the most basic and effective ways to include CTAs in your videos is to bake them right in. There are two ways I like to do this. The first is to include a screen, often at the end or during the video that indicates what the viewer should do next. The second is to, whenever possible, include an auditory request of the same nature. See an example below from my own video series.

Include Annotations

Like Pop Up Video for YouTube! Hardcore YouTubers and even the casual browser alike should be familiar with the annotations that “pop up” on YouTube videos from time to time. I’m not talking about ads here – I’m talking about the little bubbles of text reminding you to subscribe to the channel, comment, or view another video.

These CTAs can be very effective if your YouTube channel is an active hub of your marketing/communications plan. In other words, if you want your viewers to consume your content on YouTube, Annotations can work for you since they can only link to other content on YouTube rather than to content on your own site (unless you’re a Partner Provider). If you want your viewers to spend only enough time on YouTube to find out how to get to your site or landing page, then Annotations can present a challenge. In fact, since they only send viewers to destinations on YouTube, Annotations can work against you if your viewers are already on your site watching an embedded video with Annotations.

Don’t Forget YouTube Ad Overlays

This one is a bit tricky and the details should probably be left to a post of their own, but it’s definitely worth mentioning that if you have Google AdWords enabled for your YouTube channel, you can add an Ad Overlay to your videos that will link to anywhere on the web, unlike Annotations. The best part? There is currently no cost for Ad Overlays. You only pay for the views you buy when promoting your video with an AdWords campaign.

This tool offers some nifty integration options including CTAs, links to maps, photos, Twitter feeds and more that can be displayed right within the Viewbix video player. These feature may be a bit too robust for the general need, but check out some of their examples and see what you think.

How do you generate leads from your videos?

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Rocky Walls is CEO of 12 Stars Media Productions. With the launch of their video editing service, Candidio, Rocky and his company provide video production, strategy and consultation to companies around the world, ranging from small businesses to Global Fortune 500s.

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